Cemented carbide used for corrosion resistance in the demanding application of flow control components within the oil and gas sector is subjected to a complex array of service and environmental combinations. Moreover, the cost of “field” failures or unpredictable service life is extremely high.
The opportunity to maintain or replace such equipment in the field, especially in offshore deep-water sites, is limited by weather conditions. It is therefore essential that reliable and predictable products form part of the subsea system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,650 discloses the use of an erosion resistant grade with submicron WC grain size for severe conditions of multi-flow media, where these components suffer from extreme mass loss by exposure to solid particle erosion, acidic corrosion, erosion-corrosion synergy and cavitation mechanisms. Grades according to this patent have, however, turned out to be unable to meet the conflicting demands of hardness (wear) and toughness, especially when the component design features require increased toughness levels.